All Chapters of SHE WAS NEVER HIS MISTRESS : Chapter 101 - Chapter 110

DOMINIC’S POVI could not remember the last time I had slept through the night. The penthouse felt too big and empty. I lay on the couch with the lights off, staring at the ceiling for hours. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Aria. Her green eyes when she laughed at something I said. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was thinking hard about a painting. The way she looked at me once, like I was someone worth loving. The quiet strength in her voice the day she told me it was over. I was head over heels for her. I still am. The kind of love that did not fade when she walked away. It only grew sharper, cutting deeper with every passing day.Food tasted like nothing now. I forced myself to eat a few bites at dinner and left the rest on the plate. My assistant kept asking if I was sick, I told him I was fine but I was not. had not been fine since the night she looked at me like I was a stranger.All I thought about was her. Every hour. Every minute. I replayed the memo

ARIA’S POVThe day before the gala felt like the calmness before a storm. The gallery was busy but controlled. Workers adjusted lights, moved ladders, and made small changes to the hanging. The catering team walked through their sequence, practicing how they would move between rooms with trays of wine and small bites and I stayed for every single part of it. I checked sight lines, approved final wall text, and made sure the flow through the exhibition felt natural.I was fully present and professional. I answered questions, made decisions, and smiled when people needed encouragement. On the outside, I looked like the artist who had everything under control but inside, I knew I was running at about forty percent.The nausea had come hard this morning. It lasted longer than usual and left me weak. I ate dry crackers in the car on the way to the gallery because that was all my stomach would accept. I sipped water slowly and kept moving. I told no one. I pushed the discomfort down and foc

ARIA’S POVThe first hour of the gala felt like a dream I had worked too hard to make real. People moved slowly through the rooms, stopping in front of each painting with real interest. I heard quiet conversations, genuine laughter, and the soft clink of glasses. A well known arts journalist stood in front of my largest piece taking careful notes. Five sales happened in the first forty five minutes. I moved through it all with a calmness I did not completely feel. I spoke with collectors, answering their questions with details. I explained the layers, the choices of color. I was good at this now. I had worked very hard to become good at this.My body was not fully cooperating though. The nausea sat low and steady. My head felt light if I moved too quickly. But I still smiled through it. I kept my posture straight and touched my grandmother’s locket from time to time when I needed a small reminder that I belonged here and that this night was mine. I would not let anything ruin it. Not

ARIA’S POVThe first thing I noticed was the bright light above me and the steady beep of machines. My head felt heavy, as if it was filled with cotton. My mouth was dry. I tried to sit up but a gentle hand pressed on my shoulder.“Easy, sweetheart. You’re okay.”That was Jordan’s voice. I blinked slowly until her face came into focus. She looked exhausted, her eyes red like she had been crying. Ryan stood right behind her, looking worried but trying to stay strong for both of us.“Where…am I?” My voice came out rough and cracked. “What… what happened?” One minute ago I was at the gala. Now I am here. At a hospital. “You collapsed at the gala,” Jordan said softly, squeezing my hand. “Right in the middle of your speech. You scared the hell out of everyone.Especially me. What the hell is wrong with you?”“Jordan,” Ryan said, trying to stop her from scolding me. “It’s okay Ryan.. I deserve it, "I said weakly. The memory came back in pieces. The podium, the bright lights,the room spinn

ARIA’S POVI was still trying to wrap my head around everything when the door to my hospital room burst open.Flynn stood there, completely soaked. Rainwater dripped from his hair onto his shoulders and down his dark blue suit. His chest was heaving like he had run a marathon. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. He looked wild, desperate and somehow… cute. The thought surprised me. Even now, after everything, my stupid heart still did that little flip when I saw him like this.Jordan and Ryan both turned to look at him. I stared too, my hand unconsciously resting on my stomach under the blanket.Flynn’s eyes locked on mine. “Are you… are you okay?”“I… I am. Are you?” I answered. Jordan teased him for a while about him not using his phone if he wanted to know how it was. Which was funny. He still stood there at the door and did not come in. “Flynn you can come in yunno” “Oh Yh.. sure.. thanks” He came in still dripping, he just stood at a corner.Then I remembered he said he nee